Book Review Alert: Tinkers
At 191-pages, not-quite 5 x 7 inches in size, and with a lone person tromping through snow on the cover, “Tinkers” by Paul Harding is so darling, I couldn’t wait to read it.
The title is terribly sweet—sweet enough that a friend mentioned it would be the perfect name for a puppy. And the hype didn’t hurt, either: this year’s Pulitzer winner was picked up by a very small and very young publishing house, the Bellevue Literary Press, after the author received enough rejection letters to make a lesser writer want to throw her laptop onto a bonfire.
(Continue reading on Culture Lust.)
Seth Marko deserves a Pulitzer, too
I love reading. I wish I had more time for it but I don’t. And so it is that I pick and choose as carefully as I can when it comes to what’s on my nightstand. From time to time, I have to settle for the mediocre. Case in point: I’m currently reading an okay-ish book called “The Madonnas of Leningrad.” It was chosen by my book club and I’m sticking with it since I don’t want to get the forthcoming boot should I not show up for a third meeting in a row. After I finish it tomorrow, I’ll be moving on to the Pulizer-winning “Tinkers,” by Paul Harding.
I’m especially looking forward to it knowing about the too-many rejections Harding received prior to finally getting it published. I can’t help but cheer for the survival of the underdog. Plus, his book is atypical in size, a sweet and enticing package. “Tinkers” comes in at 191 pages, the last word of which is “good-bye” (data I need to know before I can begin any book, don’t ask me why, it’s a ritual).
And because I hate to miss out on what’s popular, I rely on the generosity and suffering of others. Angela Carone of Culture Lust clued me into a man braver than most. Seth Marko over at The Book Catapult is currently reading “The 9th Judgment,” by James Patterson so I don’t have to! He’s reading one chapter a day and recapping each in a manner more compelling than all of Patterson’s previous books and movies combined. Um…okay, I’m not sure if that’s the best selling point. Let me put it this way: Marko is killing JP slowly. Filleting him day by day, chapter by short, clichéd chapter. It could be said Patterson’s done it to himself by including 117 truncated chapters.
Or it could be said that Seth Marko is a genius. His 117 Days of James Patterson begins here. Get to it. It’s painful. It’s owie. It’s a carbuncle of literary awesomeness attached to the coattails of complete yuck. It’s a total page turner.
Want to be breathless? Get Marisa Silver’s “Alone With You”
For the past several months, I’ve been carrying on a love affair with the short story. I’m generally predisposed toward novels but these days, given the chaos of modern life, it may be a day or two (or, admittedly, longer) before I have time to settle in again. At which point, I’m out of sync with the pacing and often need a good memory jog to keep moving forward. Then there’s the battle to stay awake for more than 20 pages. The short story is a fine alternative. It’s compatible with my bedtime reading, but also with the all-too-brief minutes of free time throughout the day. Really, it’s a perfect and immediate literary fix when done well.
Calling all bookworms
My book reviews now have their very own byline over at Culture Lust, which is terribly exciting for me (you can read my review of Jose Saramago’s Blindness here and Sara Gruen’s Water For Elephants here). And yet, I can’t help but wonder why KPBS would want to risk their fine reputation by slumming around with yours truly…
No matter. I live for driveway moments and love KPBS so dearly, I not only tend to listen to the same story on my drive home from work that I listened to on my way in, but I often cry both times. That, my friends, is dedication. Needless to say, I’m honored to have such a reputable platform. Their class is already rubbing off on me, too: Nowhere in my review of The Believers did I use the F-word, discuss vibrators or wish chronic dysentery on any Republicans. Though I’m pretty much always wishing chronic dysentery on Republicans, especially under- and uninsured Republicans. It’s my own personal campaign to win hearts and minds.
Anyhow. If you’re looking for something to read, Angela Carone is offering up an array of options at Culture Lust during this week-long celebration of books. Go pay her a visit and see if you can’t find something to your liking. And do tell: What will you be reading this weekend?